Mineral deficiencies including selenium, cobalt, and copper cause significant welfare problems in sheep that are preventable through careful dietary management.
Mineral deficiency diseases cause significant preventable suffering. White muscle disease in lambs is acutely distressing and often fatal. Cobalt deficiency causes chronic wasting that is easily mistaken for other causes. Routine monitoring of flock mineral status, combined with targeted supplementation, prevents most mineral deficiency welfare problems at low cost relative to the welfare benefit.